Government announces new funding for home sharing services

Community Living BC (CLBC) is pleased to inform you that the government has announced $8.8 million in funding for 2019, and $9.5 million in funding for 2020 ($45 million in new funding over the next three years) for Home Share providers in B.C.

This new funding recognizes the important work you do to support more than 4,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in our province and it will allow CLBC to increase all shared living rates over the next two years.

To implement this in a fair and equitable way, CLBC will first be doing some work on the rate structure, adding three more levels to better reflect the complexity of supported individuals. Once that work is complete we will be reviewing all home sharing contracts to make sure they are based on up-to-date information on an individuals’ disability related needs.

Most Home Share providers have up-to-date contracts based on the previous rate structure and will receive a letter in the next few weeks informing them of the increase they will receive on April 1, 2019.

There are some contracts that require additional assessment and CLBC will send out letters in March explaining next steps. Our goal is to complete this process with you as soon as possible. Any shared living provider who is eligible for a funding adjustment will receive payment retroactive to April 1, 2019 regardless of when the contract is modified.

Plans for implementing increases in 2020/21 will be finalized after updating contracts and further analysis of providers’ needs.

CLBC has established A Home Sharing Working Group that includes home sharing provider groups and coordinating agencies, to address other concerns identified in the June 2018 What We Heard report.

If you have questions about the new funding, the Home Sharing Working Group, or want to be added to the list of people receiving updates, please email CLBCinfo@gov.bc.ca.

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